U.S. Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, at the Atlantic Council’s Yezidi Genocide and the Struggle for Recovery event on July 29, underlined that United States has long encouraged the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to make meaningful and overdue progress by implementing the Sinjar Agreement signed in October 2020.

Read More: U.S. Encourages Baghdad to Address Militia Presence in Sinjar

In October 2020, Baghdad and Erbil signed the Sinjar Agreement with support of the UN in order to facilitate the return of displaced Yezidis. However, so far the agreement has not been implemented and militias continue to operate in Sinjar.

“We’ve urged both parties to continue this critical work, and to more closely consult Sinjar stakeholders in implementing the security, administration, and reconstruction elements of the agreement,” Under Secretary Zeya said.

Read More: Kurdish PM Visits Lalish Ahead of Genocide Anniversary

Moreover, she said that the people of Sinjar have suffered for too long at the hands of competing political interests from outside their community. “Working hand in hand with these Sinjar communities is the only way for the government of Iraq and KRG to ensure that the district’s leadership works on behalf of those who live there.”

She also added that it is equally essential for federal police and Iraqi security forces to lead the effort to bring security to Sinjar, including through support to the local police force as called for under the Sinjar Agreement. “To this end, we hope recruitment and training of this local force will be finalized soon.”

She also emphasized that the activities of militia groups in Sinjar and the Nineveh Plain continue to negatively impact communities’ stability, preventing the return of internally displaced persons and stifling local economic development. “Progress in resolving security deficits on the ground in Sinjar is therefore a necessary and urgent step to strengthen Iraq’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

The Atlantic Council event comes ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Yezidi genocide in August. ISIS’s atrocities committed against the Yezidis are recognized as a genocide by the United States, Armenia, Belgium, Canada, the EU, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.

The genocide resulted in the the deaths of thousands of people. Almost 10 years later, thousands of Yezidi women and girls are still missing. Moreover, many Yezidis are still displaced in camps in the Kurdistan Region.

U.S. Under Secretary Zeya visited Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, in May.

During her visit, U.S. Under Secretary Zeya also discussed the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement and the removal of militias and unlawful groups from the area with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

Read More: U.S. Encourages Baghdad to Address Militia Presence in Sinjar

U.S. Under Secretary Zeya delivered remarks at the Lalish Yezidi temple on May 10 and called on Baghdad to “address concerns over the role of militias in areas liberated from ISIS such as Sinjar and the Nineveh Plain.”